19/02/2026
I’ve been thinking about pocketbooks for a while now.
For me, this has always been about accessibility.
Sometimes when someone sees a big, thick book, it already feels intimidating. Especially if they’re just starting to read more. A small book doesn’t feel like that. It feels doable, like something you can actually finish.
And then there’s the price. Smaller books don’t need as much to produce, which means they don’t have to be sold at prices that make you wish you weren’t curious in the first place. That matters, you know. The easier a book is to buy, the easier it is to pass around.
Because that’s how I read a lot in college.
One person would rent a pocketbook. It would make its way around the dorm room. By the end, it looked worn out and slightly tragic... but everyone had read it. When you’re broke, that’s what accessibility looks like. Books that don’t stay pristine because they’re actually being used.
That kind of access led me to write my own novella back then. I even wanted to submit it somewhere. I just didn’t really know how. It was 2009. The internet still felt confusing. I didn’t know where to look or who to ask.
But the desire was there.
𝘗𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵, our upcoming pocketbook line, comes from that place.
I want books to feel less intimidating and easier to circulate. I want shorter works that still carry weight. Because short doesn’t mean shallow. A small book can still hit hard.
First 𝘗𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 call details drop tonight. Submissions open March 1.
Three themes. Seven stories per theme.
— Mariel 🌊✨
